LEANING IN: Princeton Day School girls’ lacrosse player Lena Wijaya cradles the ball in recent action. Last Monday, sophomore attacker Wijaya scored three goals in a losing cause as PDS fell 15-5 to Lawrence High. The Panthers, now 1-2, play at Hightstown on April 10 and then host Robbinsville on April 14. (Photo by Frank Jacobs III)
By Bill Alden
After the Princeton Day School girls’ lacrosse team suffered a lopsided 19-2 defeat to Notre Dame last Wednesday afternoon, it would have been understandable if Hannah Lombardo had been bummed out.
Instead, PDS first-year head coach Lombardo saw the setback as a valuable learning experience.
“Notre Dame is a fast, veteran team and we are more of a younger team,” said Lombardo. “I just think that the future is so bright for our team. This was a good test for them to see what true competitive teams look like. The postgame message is to just learn from it and just realize that we are going to see some really good competition. We are super athletic and we have a lot of room for growth.”
Lombardo noted that the squad hasn’t had a lot of time together yet this spring.
“It is still early in the season,” added Lombardo, the successor to Lucia Marcozzi who guided the Panthers to a 9-9 record in 2025. “We also didn’t have any scrimmages so this is just our second time playing together as a team. So it is give them some grace with that and just set up the team chemistry.”
With Notre Dame winning most of the draw controls on the day to dominate possession, the Panthers were on the defensive for much of the game.
“I just said to my defense that you guys saw a lot of shots but there were so many good things that happened,” said Lombardo. “They did play really good defense. Our goalie Kelly [Stevens], this season is her first time ever in a lacrosse goalie cage and she was absolutely phenomenal for us. She is unreal, she had 11 saves.”
Having enjoyed a very good career with the Rowan University women’s lacrosse team put Lombardo on the path to coaching.
“My five years at college were the best of my entire life,” said Lombardo, a 2025 Rowan grad who starred in the midfield for the Profs and served as a team co-captain. “What I learned from my coaching staff is something that really inspired me to want to be a coach. It is not even from on the field but off the field and everything that they have taught me. I have been coaching travel now for about five years and I knew that I wanted to take it to the next level. Once this opportunity arose, I went with it and I was like maybe I will get the job, maybe I won’t.”
Lombardo was thrilled to get the opportunity to lead the PDS program.
“I just have a lot of heart for the sport itself and being part of a team,” said Lombardo. “I think that building a positive team culture for girls like this will extend beyond lacrosse year. I got super lucky, this is such a great core group of girls.”
In taking the helm of the Panthers, Lombardo is focusing on building a strong culture.
“It is building a positive team environment; I think accountability is huge, you have to hold each other accountable,” said Lombardo. “We always say play for the person next to you. It is show up for each other. We need everyone at practice. We need everyone holding each other accountable. It is only going to make us better. I always say you can control how hard you work and you can control your attitude. Work ethic and controlling the controllable, that is huge for me.”
The PDS players have displayed a great attitude this spring.
“They have 100 percent responded,” said Lombardo. “They are buying into the program, which is all I can ask of them. There is such a big future for this program, so for them to buy in now, it is going to expand beyond this year and lead into next year.”
Lombardo likes what she is seeing this year from her defensive unit which features senior goalie Stevens along senior defenders Arden Reilly, Hartleigh Kragseth, and Zuri Graham.
“I think Kelly in goal has been great,” said Lombardo. “Arden and Hartleigh are a dynamic duo down there on defense. It is the same with Zuri. It is her first year. She is such a coachable player and plays very textbook defense. She is super fast.”
On offense, sophomore Lena Wijaya, senior Luci McKee, and the Martin sisters, senior Nica and freshman Mia, have produced some dynamic play.
“We have Lena returning there and we have Luci who has got incredible stick work,” said Lombardo, who got three goals from Wijaya last Monday as the Panthers fell 15-5 to Lawrence High to move to 1-2. “Nica is an overall great athlete and a great leader on and off the field. Mia scored the first goal today. She is a super fearless player and very coachable.”
With the Panthers, now 1-2, playing at Hightstown on April 10 and then hosting Robbinsville on April 14, Lombardo believes that her players will show great progress as the spring unfolds.
“I want them to absorb what they are learning, be coachable and just every single day get better than they day before,” said Lombardo. “That is really my main message for them right now.”